FAR and DFARS › DFARS Part 252: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 252.2

DFARS 252.227-7040 Additional preaward requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This DFARS provision requires offerors responding to a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) solicitation to include a written agreement with a research institution and a signed written representation with their offer. The agreement must address ownership and rights to intellectual property resulting from the STTR award and must not conflict with certain intellectual property clauses. Failing to submit these items may make the offer ineligible for award.

Applies to: Offerors responding to STTR Program solicitations

What it requires

  • Include the written agreement between the Offeror and a research institution in the offer
  • Ensure the written agreement contains a specific allocation of ownership, rights, and responsibilities for intellectual property resulting from the STTR award
  • Ensure the written agreement identifies which party may obtain United States or foreign patents or otherwise protect resulting inventions
  • Submit a written representation, dated and signed by an official authorized to contractually obligate the Offeror, as an attachment to the offer

Key terms: research institution · United States · written agreement · written representation · intellectual property

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 227.7104-4(c)(1), use the following provision:

Additional Preaward Requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program (JAN 2025)

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision, the terms “research institution” and “United States” have the meaning given in the 252.227-7041, Additional Postaward Requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program, clause of this solicitation.

(b) Offers submitted in response to this solicitation shall include the following:

(1) The written agreement between the Offeror and a research institution, which shall contain—

(i) A specific allocation of ownership, rights, and responsibilities for intellectual property (including inventions, patents, technical data, and computer software) resulting from the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program award;

(ii) Identification of which party to the written agreement may obtain United States or foreign patents or otherwise protect any inventions that result from a STTR award; and

(iii) No terms or conditions that conflict with the requirements of the clause at 252.227-7018, Rights in Other Than Commercial Technical Data and Computer Software-Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Program, or this provision, including the rights of the United States, the Offeror, and the research institution regarding intellectual property, and regarding any right to carry out follow-on research.

(2) The Offeror's written representation that—

(i) The Offeror is satisfied with its written agreement with the research institution; and

(ii) The written agreement does not conflict with the requirements of this solicitation.

(c) The Offeror shall submit the written representation required by paragraph (b)(2) of this provision as an attachment to its offer, dated and signed by an official authorized to contractually obligate the Offeror.

(d) The Offeror's failure to submit the written agreement or written representation required by paragraph (b) of this provision with its offer may render the offer ineligible for award.

(e) If the Offeror is awarded a contract, the Contracting Officer will include the written agreement and written representation required by paragraph (b) of this provision in an attachment to that contract.

(End of provision)

Sections it refers to

  • 227.7104-4 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
  • 252.227-7041 Additional postaward requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program.
  • 252.227-7018 Rights in Other Than Commercial Technical Data and Computer Software—Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

Sections that refer to it

  • 212.301 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses for the acquisition of commercial products and commercial services.
  • 227.7104-3 STTR program requirements.
  • 227.7104-4 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
  • 252.227-7041 Additional postaward requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program.

← 252.227-7039 Patents—reporting of subject inventions. · 252.227-7041 Additional postaward requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program. →

Rule changes for DFARS Part 252

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

DFARS 252.227-7040 Additional preaward requirements for Small Business Technology Transfer Program · SpendQuery